Smoke alarm warning after house fire

Firefighters have urged residents to make sure they have smoke alarms after a man suffered burns in a house fire.

Crews were called to Mount Pleasant, Maldon today at 3.43am and found a small fire in a lounge.

It is believed sparks from a woodburner set fire to a basket of briquettes.

Watch Manager Martin Cable said: "Because there were no smoke alarms to warn the occupant, the fire took hold and actually burnt a hole through the floorboards.

"When the occupant noticed the fire, he tried to take the basket outside but suffered burns to his feet, arms and hands.

"Crews made the scene safe and administered first aid before ambulance crews arrived. 

"The incident really does highlight the importance of having smoke alarms in your home; they act as an early warning and stop fires from escalating, as it did in this case."

"If you or someone you know does not have working smoke alarms, please get in touch with our Service."

The lounge was smoke-damaged and a hole had burnt through the floorboard but the house was otherwise undamaged.

The cause has been recorded as accidental.

Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?

If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms at home, we can fit them for free during a home fire safety visit.

You can book a free home fire safety by calling 0300 303 0088 or emailing home.safety@essex-fire.gov.uk, or visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book for more information.

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Maldon's firefighters are on-call firefighters. They all live or work within 5 minutes of Maldon Fire Station and are paid to protect their community. 

If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be paid to protect your community too. Find out more at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call